[ad_1]
USA TODAY Sports
Last week, officials missed a blatant case of pass interference (actually two of them) in the Chargers’ win over the Chiefs. This week, it happened again.
In the last play of the Browns-Vikings game, with Cleveland leading 14-7, Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins threw the ball into the end zone on a play that started 32 yards from the end zone. . Browns defensive back Greedy Williams assaulted Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen in the end zone, preventing him from making a player on the ball.
Watch the video embedded in this link. Obviously, the Browns player wrapped Thielen around and blocked access to the ball. No flag was thrown.
Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy stressed that he did not throw a flag, saying he was “looking forward toAn explanation from the league for the failure to make the call.
He probably won’t. The NFL has taken a zero-transparency approach to refereeing controversies, with no one from the league office ever available to publicly explain the reasons for close calls and, if necessary, to admit mistakes were made. The league benefits from the bad calls that occur in the 1:00 p.m. ET group of games, minimizing attention to any specific errors. By keeping your head down and your mouth shut, the NFL is also not drawing attention to a situation that might otherwise be ignored, or at least minimized.
It is not a sustainable approach. Without transparency, people will believe that the solution is there. Without accountability, people will believe the solution is there. Without a mechanism to help people understand why decisions were made (with something more than superficial language that doesn’t go into call and non-call details), people will believe the fix is in place.
In an era when legalized gambling is exploding, the last thing the league needs is a critical mass of people who believe the solution is in place.
[ad_2]
Source link